Fields of Green

tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-167751612012-02-27T18:42:33.652-05:00Fields of GreenTaylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.comBlogger4641100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-84095145693922708142012-02-24T23:41:00.000-05:002012-02-24T23:41:00.314-05:00Caught

I finally caught it. Ladies and Gentlemen, the elusive "scrunchie face." That face is one of her silly faces, but heaven forbid that she make it for the camera. And just wait until I capture what she does when I say, "Smile!" There is a reason we portrait photographers avoid flat out asking kids to smile for the camera. For the record, my kid refuses to smile for the camera anyway. I

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-46300909174194403842012-02-23T21:40:00.001-05:002012-02-23T21:40:49.074-05:00Treasures

Here's the thing about my mom. She's really fun. She's so much fun that it makes me jealous. My mom knows exactly what to do with little kids to make them have a blast. She never leaves Target without visiting the toy aisle. No, not to buy stuff; she just likes to look at the toys and show them to the kids to see what they love best. She hones these loves for months and then gets the

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-43876542095770634952012-02-23T10:00:00.000-05:002012-02-23T10:00:02.684-05:00Probably worth the investment

Perhaps it's time for some cooking lessons. That, or some form of a fence system to keep my baby out of my kitchen while I am cooking, since she takes my cooking ingredients and tries to use them in her baking.

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-44143720563549442502012-02-22T23:28:00.001-05:002012-02-22T23:28:42.201-05:00Birthday Therapy

Tonight, as of 8 pm on the dot, I am 28. That's me, kickin' it old school. With a Ritz cracker. And awesome shoes! (Mom, what happened to those shoes?) I currently have a baby who is almost the same age I was in that photo. My baby, who is absolutely perfect and precious and wonderful, has in the last week and a half become also become completely exhausting. I mean, in a good way,

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-90226065269498164482012-02-21T19:35:00.002-05:002012-02-21T19:46:13.188-05:00My favorite room

My favorite space in our home, far and away, is Waverly's bedroom. We spent a good chunk of yesterday organizing photos, and I realized that I never posted these shots of my baby's room. This is probably because she never slept in her room until she was over four months old, and her room wasn't really "finished" (is any room ever really finished?) until she was six months old. I adore her

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-64448056201272857172012-02-20T00:03:00.004-05:002012-02-20T00:03:55.927-05:00No Comment ;)

That awkward moment: When you're telling a story to someone and they interrupt you to finish the story for you and then say, "Hah! I know! I read it on your blog!" Oops. Right. I forgot I wrote about that... I am always doing that. Here's the thing. I never, ever assume that folks are taking time out of their busy lives to read my silly and sappy little musings. But you know

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-74674798966886715612012-02-17T13:00:00.000-05:002012-02-17T13:00:06.568-05:00Stuffed Strawberries

Confession: I am not a huge fan of strawberries. It seems impossible, and those beautiful little suckers get me every time. They sit there in store looking so bright and colorful and delicious. So I buy them. And half of them go bad, because they are just never quite as great as I thought. Except never again. You guys. These are SO good. So the other day I was Pinteresting (yup,

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-80573045450702835232012-02-16T23:31:00.001-05:002012-02-16T23:31:57.367-05:00Owls Always

My Valentine's Day this year started off just like any average Valentine's day. I won a bag of chocolate for being able to pick 39 conversation hearts out of a styrofoam cup with a pair of chopsticks. You see, my husband had a random day off from work, so I was able to attend our bi-weekly MOPS meeting sans small person. This meant that the small person wasn't sitting in my lap trying to swipe

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-77673165431525112912012-02-16T00:11:00.003-05:002012-02-16T00:11:56.959-05:00If I was invisible

Do you remember that song, "If I Was Invisible" by Clay Aiken? Grammatically speaking, the song annoys me because it should be, "If I Were Invisible." Creepily speaking, the song annoys me because it's super creepy. "...Then I could just watch you in your room"? No, thanks. Someone was trying to practice being invisible today, but I don't think she quite got the hang of it. C'mon,

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-29285182871375241422012-02-14T07:00:00.000-05:002012-02-14T07:00:15.827-05:00Valentines' Day

If Sweet Pea understood the concept of choosing a Valentine, she would choose her cousin Bean. Or her Daddy. Or her cousin Maggie. Or Matt, one of our teen friends. Or Matthew, our youth pastor. Or our friend Natalie. Or our friend Stacy, whom she calls Daisy. Or any of her little boyfriends. Or anyone holding an iphone. Or Elmo. Or Pocoyo. Actually, it might be Pocoyo. Ok, so

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-81217817789184344162012-02-14T00:18:00.001-05:002012-02-14T00:18:45.858-05:00Sneakier

We had a plan. We had it all figured out. Let our little Linus fall asleep with her beloved, albeit filthy, pink blanket (aliases "Bicky," "Bicket," and as of late, "Woof") since we know she won't go to sleep without it. Sneak in after she's asleep and snatch it. Wash and return without her being the wiser. Except something tells me she's in cahoots with the cat, because somehow we must have

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-62934713425496291422012-02-13T00:24:00.001-05:002012-02-13T00:24:49.526-05:00Cuddle time

I found this little iPhone snap on the hubby's phone and it made me smile. And wish I had my own iPhone. Actually, the photo made me frown, too, partly because I will never have an iPhone and mostly because it was a reminder of the first night ever my baby was really, truly sick. Her fever was over 103 that night. We tried a popsicle and cool washcloths and Tylenol. They helped, but she was

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-9310341148064304582012-02-10T12:24:00.002-05:002012-02-10T22:11:08.939-05:00Maybe Picasso

Today we tried to finger paint. Like probably most new moms, I have a tendency to get really excited to try new "special" moments with my baby. I unintentionally play it all out in my head; how my 16-month-old will tentatively dip her little finger tips in the paint, the smear the colors on the paper with a look of rapture and joy. She'll make happy sounds as she grabs for more paint and rubs

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-56480099055495802522012-02-09T22:30:00.001-05:002012-02-09T22:30:48.788-05:00Only a mother

These are pictures only a mother could love. Even a mother who has a compulsive gag reflex to spit. So I love them, but I can only look at them for so long. ;) Love. It's not just for Valentines' Day, you know. After all, it's pretty cute how much she loves to make smooshy face on our screen door. She gets excited watching me go back and forth to the car, maybe because she

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-71150526252047400412012-02-09T16:36:00.001-05:002012-02-09T16:36:16.435-05:00Super Blessed

Here is a list of things I care about, in order of importance: 1. Jesus 2. My family 3. My friends 4. Parties! 5. Everything else 6. Mealworms 7. Super Bowl Given the option, I would rather watch a documentary on snails than the Super Bowl. Especially if the documentary were narrated by that British guy who narrates Planet Earth. That guy is so emphatic! However, when the Super Bowl is

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-50924500411683069672012-02-02T08:00:00.000-05:002012-02-02T08:00:02.609-05:00More winter, I guess

I don't know about Phil, but my little girl discovered her shadow and spent the afternoon waving at it and chasing it.

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-75692847937865692122012-02-01T16:56:00.000-05:002012-02-01T16:56:07.305-05:00Not the long winter

Whenever the weather gets awesome for a day or two in the winter I can't help but ask myself, "Why don't I live in the South?" I guess because I'd be miserable in the summer, but let's be real; it was 104 degrees here on a day this summer when I traipsed 25 Chinese exchange students down to Great Falls. So honestly? I can take the heat. The cold, on the other hand, sends me swirling into

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-31084955747583936882012-01-31T09:00:00.000-05:002012-01-31T09:00:04.948-05:00Restin' the dogs

I walked in to wake the baby up from her nap on Saturday and found her sleeping like this: I guess her dogs are tired from all the walking she does now. I was kind of jealous. I wish I could sleep that soundly and comfily! A note about the stuff in her crib: Yes, I know the AAP says nothing in the bed but a crib sheet. But once Sweet Pea could roll over, sit up and pull up on her

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-29033461651175903722012-01-30T21:40:00.001-05:002012-01-30T21:40:11.972-05:00Hatscarf

Sometimes I could just eat her up. I've been struck recently by just how much fun I have with my little girl. Not that I ever didn't think she was fun, but the older she gets (and the more talkative and active) the more I find that the little shadow who follows me everywhere is great company, plain and simple. I guess I didn't quite expect that, to have this kind of companionship

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-72791009830656633952012-01-26T14:14:00.002-05:002012-01-26T14:14:59.709-05:00#winning

I am learning that sometimes you just have to know when to call it quits. It turns out that the baby has roseola, a virus that causes high fevers for as long as a week. As soon as the fever breaks, out comes a rash. In other words, my baby (whose fever finally broke last night) currently looks like some of kind of diseased, malnourished victim of neglect, what with her rash, bags under her

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-63771312488830797562012-01-25T19:02:00.003-05:002012-01-26T11:14:15.636-05:00Bows

While I was putting away some laundry, my baby girl came up to me with a tiny rubber band in her hand asking, "Bow? Bow?" I asked her if she wanted me to put the bow in her hair and she handed it to me and looked expectant. She waited patiently while I tied the band around a little bit of her beautiful hair. Then she walked away happily and didn't take the bow out of her hair. In other

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-26590923182217996812012-01-24T23:34:00.002-05:002012-01-24T23:34:56.840-05:00Titus 2sdays: On Sick Days

My baby girl hasn't had a true sick day until now. She's had a minor cold here and there, but even teething she's taken like a soldier. So it's kind of knocking me off my feet to have a baby laid out with nasty fevers the past few days. I'm so thankful for her health. By her age, my undiagnosed celiac disease had already had me sick more times than my mom could have counted. My entire

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-76473288616702140692012-01-21T23:39:00.002-05:002012-01-21T23:39:39.837-05:00It's snow fun

We've finally had a little blast of winter around here. Late January is pretty late for us for a first measurable snow fall, and while I'm not exactly snow's biggest fan, it still excites me. Those same giddy feelings I'd fall asleep with as a kid still fill me even now when I hear snow may be on the way, and I still love opening my eyes to asses the color of the light streaming in the

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-31383297160954204832012-01-18T22:48:00.001-05:002012-01-18T22:51:22.401-05:00Convenience Food

I try really hard to avoid buy pre-packaged snack foods. For one, they are expensive, and two, they just aren't good for you. I don't even mean cheese doodles or cookies- clearly those aren't healthy- but most pre-packed snacks need extra preservatives to keep them fresh. Lately there's a lot of great gluten-free snack options on the market, and it would be easy to just grab it and go.

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-25661943419504595532012-01-16T11:21:00.000-05:002012-01-16T11:21:01.282-05:00Pieces of our life

First, a few instagrams before a video at the end that will crack you up. Lunch at Five Guys Rockin it out at youth group Kind of the star of the show at youth group Eating pomegranate seeds like a rockstar Being adorable at dinner last night: I must have been looking at Bean when Sweet Pea's mouth was on the table, because I totally did not know she kissed the gross table

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-21370944555695571402012-01-15T00:00:00.001-05:002012-01-15T00:00:48.603-05:00Stopping by Woods

Whose woods these are I think I know. His house is in the village though; He will not see me stopping here To watch his woods fill up with snow. My little horse must think it queer To stop without a farmhouse near Between the woods and frozen lake The darkest evening of the year. He gives his harness bells a shake To ask if there is some mistake.

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-63213967399586902822012-01-11T21:02:00.002-05:002012-01-11T21:06:21.528-05:00Moments

"We don't remember days, we remember moments." Cesare Pavese Moments. My heart sings for them. They are the reason I am a photographer. I want to capture precious moments and hold them close to my heart the way a crow hoards shiny treasures. Sometimes though, the moment is too precious and perfect to interrupt with a camera. Take two nights ago, for example. I had sneaked our little one

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-41648801381244941732012-01-10T15:42:00.001-05:002012-01-10T15:42:44.200-05:00Titus 2sday: Traditions

I grew up with a lot of holiday traditions. They are all pretty typical, ranging from when we decorate our tree to the kinds of Christmas cookies we make to making sure we get out to see Christmas lights to watching the Christmas cantata at church. I've heard though that it's important to create your own traditions with your own family. It can be hard to fit more in (because I just can't give

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-78145389668798139442012-01-05T20:38:00.002-05:002012-01-05T20:38:51.443-05:00Christmas Day

"O Come O Come Emmanuel And ransom captive Israel." I knew I would cry a little Christmas morning. It was inevitable. My heart was all a-flutter with excitement to give my little one a gift I knew she would love, which was of course a really sweet reminder of God's love for His people and the Gift He gave us. Sweet Pea has adored this silly dancing doll for months. Every time we went

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-73219942540762427102012-01-05T18:39:00.001-05:002012-01-05T18:39:14.044-05:00Christmas Eve

Our tree is still up on this here January 5th. I think that's ok as long as my neighbors still have their lights gleaming at night. Meanwhile, this is my mantra: I will finish these Christmas posts before our tree comes down, I WILL. Last year I never even posted about Christmas at all. It's a shame, because our baby was pretty darn cute at Christmas last year. How did that

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-80619344535071322472012-01-04T01:03:00.000-05:002012-01-04T01:03:00.657-05:00Wasabi Peas, a story

Once upon a time there was a little girl. That little girl had a mom. That mom baked sweet, chocolately morsels at Christmastime. While baking, that mom would sometimes say to the little girl, "Open your mouth and close your eyes," after which she would stick a little piece of something chocolately and sweet straight-out-of-the-oven on the little girl's tongue. And the little girl was happy.

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-50850612675877432152012-01-03T12:40:00.000-05:002012-01-03T12:40:00.376-05:00Alternatives

I am getting more requests for gluten-free help lately than I can follow. Honestly, I'm not surprised. Gluten is a large, sticky protein and it's hard for the human body to break down, period. An acquaintance of my mom's was recently diagnosed with Celiac Disease and (ready for this?) she had no symptoms. She was not sick, she had no GI symptoms, she wasn't tired or achy, she wasn't

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-65779882586311815482012-01-03T00:29:00.003-05:002012-01-03T00:51:18.463-05:00Oh Christmas Tree

It may be 2012, but as far as I'm concerned, it's Christmas until I take our tree down. And so help me, I'm not taking down for at least a few more days. Those ornaments make me happy, so that tree stays where it is until I'm good and ready to say goodbye, dagnabbit! I'm sort of like reverse-Scrooge. Yayhumbug! I just imported 1111 (yup, exactly) holiday photos into my iphoto. You know what

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-45117834164000166842011-12-29T20:41:00.001-05:002011-12-29T20:41:22.522-05:00Spun gold

Possibly nothing in the world is more lovely to me than my baby's freshly washed, spun gold hair.

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-7209165185275035622011-12-27T10:56:00.001-05:002011-12-27T10:56:39.365-05:00Feeding the reindeer

That sure is one chubby, fuzzy reindeer... Hope your Christmas was as sweet as ours!

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-86872486567892759852011-12-22T22:34:00.000-05:002011-12-22T22:34:06.859-05:00Santa! I (don't) know him!

Fact: My child has terrible separation anxiety. Fact: It's been getting better lately. Fact: My child, who has terrible separation anxiety, actually has an affinity for men. Fact: This affinity for men extends particularly to men with beards. Fact: It will get creepy if she still feels that way when she's a teenager. Fact: Her Daddy is a man. With a beard. Fact: That's

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-68787951870652468722011-12-21T03:13:00.001-05:002011-12-21T03:13:33.365-05:00Season

I love the term "holiday season." It means that this holiday is so special we can't celebrate it in just one day, no, we need a whole season of celebrating and enjoying and merry-making. Best of all, we get to see loved ones who while they might not live so near, they are very dear to our hearts. Our celebrating got a kickstart about a week and a half ago when we got just a very brief visit

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-16833582455106008212011-12-19T13:01:00.002-05:002011-12-22T22:34:42.096-05:00Cookies, Round Two

We baked a couple of practice batches of cookies with our friend Jessey on Saturday. Good thing they were practice batched, because they did not turn out so great. FYI: That "brownulated" sugar you might have seen on the shelves at the grocery store? The pourable brown sugar? Yeah, don't use it for cookies. Cookies need all of that moisture in brown sugar. Duh. Sweet Pea loved baking with

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-21316959460790706982011-12-19T09:00:00.000-05:002011-12-19T09:00:03.676-05:00Advent(urous) pt. 2

Ok, so I might not ever have filled up our little advent calendar with fun Christmas activities, but I've tried really hard to have one fun Christmas activity every day anyway. So far, we've accomplished that every day. (Last) Thursday- Got the tree Friday- Decorated the tree Saturday- Drove to see lights and wrapped presents Sunday- "First" Christmas with family from out of town Monday-

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-40433891100334518572011-12-18T23:26:00.001-05:002011-12-18T23:28:48.649-05:00Elves in Training

Sweet Pea threw her first party on Friday. She wanted to have her friends over, and she wanted to do something with her friends to serve others. So, we created a little card workshop and invited her little friends over to make Christmas cards for some kids in the ER where our friend Kathy is a nurse. In all honesty, I didn't really think this was going to work. I figured we'd make a huge

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-37257326305380453782011-12-18T15:42:00.001-05:002011-12-18T15:42:38.431-05:00Cookies, pt. 1

As the parent of a young gluten-free child, I often worry a little about how we will handle social situations that involve food. Since I wasn't diagnosed with celiac disease until I was 20, I never had to worry about being the "weird" kid who couldn't eat stuff at parties. I'm finding though, like so many situations in life, that it's all not so big a deal. We went to a cookie decorating party

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-12005367445445102522011-12-18T00:07:00.001-05:002011-12-18T00:07:36.669-05:00Baby in a basket

During our whirlwind of a Thanksgiving weekend, we went to our friends' house for a game night. We played "Imagine If," which, as it turns out, is my new second favorite game. Apples to Apples is still my first love. I Iove absurd games that require no rhyme, reason or skill. I like games that just make me laugh. We laughed a lot, but I kept getting distracted by my busy-bee of a baby. She

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-33142650968907683142011-12-17T23:54:00.001-05:002011-12-17T23:54:47.469-05:00Sushi night

Hubby and I used to have a small and loved tradition. I introduced him to sushi while we were dating, and he fell in love. In fact, he probably likes sushi even more than me. So, one of our favorite date nights pre-baby was "sushi picnic night." Sushi is kinda pricey, so to make it more affordable we would pick up some carry out from our favorite sushi place, then take it home and eat it on a

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-82916661079324324712011-12-13T17:30:00.000-05:002011-12-13T17:30:00.178-05:00Advent(urous?)

I had huge ideals for our advent calendar this year. I was going to write an activity and lovely, apropos Christmas Bible verse on a piece of paper for each day of December, then stick the papers in our little advent calendar piece and have Sweet Pea pull it out each day. Instead, one time I just scribbled "set up Nativity" on a piece of scrap paper with a random, almost-out-of-ink orange

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-88374021853405923592011-12-13T09:30:00.000-05:002011-12-13T09:30:02.342-05:00Titus 2'sday: On Friendship

I have learned many, many new thoughts, ideas, perspectives and practical tips since becoming a mother. Not one has hit me as hard as realizing how precious it is to my mama heart to watch a friend love on my child. It brings tears of joy to my eyes and fills me to the brim with thankfulness. It makes me feel loved. Say something negative or ignore my little one and I'll want to tear you to

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-78353490103867422742011-12-12T23:06:00.000-05:002011-12-12T23:06:55.799-05:00A mountaintop day

I believe with my whole heart that relationships are what life is all about. When I think back on our Thanksgiving week, I am so thankful that we got to spend so much quality time with people that we love. Those are the moments and memories that make life so grand. I always refer to my friend Jess as one of my former roommates, but in actuality she and her roommate lived across the hall from

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-91824377407983302712011-12-12T21:37:00.000-05:002011-12-12T21:37:14.159-05:00Book Review: Just in Case You Ever Wonder

I am an absolutely avid lover of children's books. From as early as I can remember, I loved nothing more than snuggling into the crook of my mama's arm and resting my head against her chest as she turned the pages of our beloved books. Night after night we read together as a family, sometimes for an hour or more. Some of the first truths of life I know I learned from those books, lessons on

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-3266086002497741702011-12-08T15:29:00.001-05:002011-12-08T15:29:00.615-05:00A progression

Once upon a time, I melted a few chocolate chips in a bowl and gave the bowl to my 12-month-old. Here is our story.

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-19530571330328370312011-12-07T17:09:00.000-05:002011-12-07T17:09:36.587-05:00Moment by Moment

I've been going through photos from this year to create some albums as Christmas gifts, and it's making me a little emotional. I'm just overcome with the grandness and goodness of this life we're living and thrilled that I get to have a living record of all that we've done and become. Last night, Sweet Pea cracked up when she saw her Daddy kiss me. It turned into a game. "Mama kiss Daddy!

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-20754902742076893862011-12-07T13:36:00.000-05:002011-12-07T13:36:39.321-05:00Beginning Advent

It recently struck me how crazy it is to see the features and faces of your friends, especially friends you've known your whole life, in their children. The child of someone I grew up with smiled at me the other day with a smile that looked EXACTLY like my friend, and for one split second I felt like I was five again and looking at my friend as a child. It was a crazy, Twilight-zoneish moment

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-80449854622875641932011-12-07T09:00:00.000-05:002011-12-07T00:00:10.364-05:00Greener Fields: Homemade Organic Yogurt

Ok, seriously. No, seriously. SERIOUSLY. You HAVE to do this. For like approximately a billion years, I've wanted to try making homemade yogurt. I've heard that folks in the middle east and India think we are ridiculous for all of our expensive, store-bought yogurt because it's so super easy to make yourself. The process intimidated me a little though because, well, yogurt only works if

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-41237159009242333412011-12-06T23:24:00.000-05:002011-12-06T23:24:26.380-05:00A stroke of (possible) genius

Who doesn't love those squeezable applesauce packets for kids? Personally, I love them. They are quick, convenient and mess-free. Sweet Pea finally got the concept of drinking from a straw after sucking one of those yummy applesauces. However, they are expensive. So expensive, in fact, that we don't buy them. Sweet Pea sometimes mooches one off her cousin, and once or twice I've grabbed

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-65269248629465188952011-11-30T22:08:00.001-05:002011-11-30T22:43:21.610-05:00Gluten-Free Holiday Ideas

Gluten-free stuffing, made by my mother-in-law with quinoa instead of bread I am often asked, "How on earth do you do a gluten-free Thanksgiving/Christmas/Easter/any holiday meal?" I find cooking gluten-free holiday food to be even easier than usual cooking. One of my biggest suggestions for friends going gluten-free for the first time is to start by eating foods they love that are

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-28572802978626369022011-11-29T14:18:00.000-05:002011-11-29T14:18:48.340-05:00Titus 2'sday- On Seasons

A friend once quoted some of the best advice she was ever given, and it has turned out to be some of the best advice I've ever gotten, too. I've since heard it quipped by dozens of other care-worn but still smiling women in my life. "It's only a season." In other words, nothing lasts forever. Sicknesses, up-all-nights with babies, jobs that keep husbands out until all hours of the night,

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-17231766760770625712011-11-28T23:36:00.000-05:002011-11-28T23:36:38.398-05:00Round Two

Thanksgiving night was a lot of fun. We slipped over to our friends' house for some of the Raven's game, which was a special spontaneous treat. Honestly, is there anything more fun than a spontaneous hang out with friends? It feels like sneaking out, what with the jammied kids and a baby who should have been in bed. I don't think I paid one bit of attention to the game, but maybe it revved up

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-50771037866736960272011-11-28T14:22:00.000-05:002011-11-28T14:22:20.063-05:00Part of the Action

We had a really busy week. A really good week. But a really, really busy week, in spite of all my comments lately about how I need to slow down and not try to be superwoman and etc., etc., etc. Honestly, though, we filled our week with friendships and fun and family and I really wouldn't change a thing. Check that- if I had to change some things, I would have taken out the vet visit with the

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-69559411261055339272011-11-22T22:53:00.001-05:002011-11-23T00:51:18.291-05:00Titus 2'sday- On Marriage

We had no idea how much we needed our weekend away. Several months ago, a friend came to me with a envelope. She told me that she Family Life, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping marriages and families thrive, one to which she regularly gives, sent her a certificate in the mail for a free marriage conference registration. She couldn't go, and she wanted to pass the gift along to us.

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-51713665039447699542011-11-22T15:02:00.000-05:002011-11-22T15:02:40.921-05:00Date Nights

We had two date nights this weekend. These date nights involved food. In other words, we ate out twice. In a row! I can't really tell you how exciting this was for me. I spent many a thought daydreaming about where we would go to eat. I couldn't make up my mind. I was like a little kid trying to pick a ride at Disney world. My husband? He was just hungry. I've learned that hungry men

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-91582093136776298002011-11-21T11:07:00.000-05:002011-11-21T11:07:29.603-05:00Samesies

Here are some things you probably didn't know about me. 1. George Washington and I have the same birthday. 2. And also the same taste in houses. 3. Particularly built-ins. This weekend, my husband and I got to skip town to go to a marriage conference in King of Prussia, PA. King of Prussia is known for its ginormous mall, but also for being the city where the fields of Valley Forge lie.

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-58424515995502210272011-11-18T08:25:00.001-05:002011-11-18T08:25:01.306-05:00Fall's Really Fun

I hate winter. To me, the only redeeming factors of winter are Christmas and snow days. (Except this year, I'll be slightly less excited about snow days because at my husband's school they make up every. single. one. In the summer. During the only three-week long summer break!) People have told me I should just move somewhere warmer. Oh, how I've dreamed of it! Those daydreams always turn

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-54323529062267767322011-11-17T22:18:00.000-05:002011-11-17T22:18:31.423-05:00Loved.

Sometimes I go back through photos and these hit me in a new and special way. They were snapped on our little bike trip about a month ago in a quick moment of just watching her be three. I love that girl with those curls, those lips, those freckles. I call those freckles "kiss spots." (Fun Fact: Sweet Pea has not one birth mark or freckle anywhere. In the hospital, just hours after she was

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-58103876693096179732011-11-15T23:58:00.001-05:002011-11-16T00:09:02.581-05:00Titus 2'sday- On "Normal"

"You're totally normal, you know," she said as she watched me exhale in frustration at our lunch after an entire Chick-Fil-A grilled chicken breast went flying to the floor of the mall eatery. Meanwhile, my girl squealed in delight over playing with her food mat instead of actually eating food. The chicken on the floor was the same I'd had to argue over with a three Chick-Fil-A employees before

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-43408460252317342262011-11-14T23:20:00.001-05:002011-11-14T23:20:39.060-05:00And if she was really sleeping...

"...and if she was really asleep she picked her up and rocked her back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. And while she rocked her she sang..." Robert Munsch, "Love You Forever"Just a night time ritual I adore, those precious, sweet stolen moments.

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-80095816223445965072011-11-12T22:50:00.001-05:002011-11-12T22:50:57.312-05:00Junk food junkie

Sweet Pea got to spend a super fun evening with her cousin and her aunt. My sister, who is a firm believer in whole and organic food, decided to go for broke and instead let the girls have pizza and cookies for dinner. In other words, it was basically the best night of my child's life. They capped the night off with watching Cars, and a little someone finally passed out in front of the tv.

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-18220165331323287782011-11-11T15:29:00.000-05:002011-11-11T15:29:32.011-05:00A bit of this and that

Do you ever get to the end of a week and think, "What on earth did I do this week? Who am I? What did I have for dinner last night? Did I even eat dinner?!" Well, I do. Regularly. I have absolutely no clue what I did on Monday. None at all. Tuesday was MOPS and park with Bean and music class and going to Roots for vitamins at like 8 pm. Wednesday was filled with errand-running in

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-40300702637884619632011-11-04T18:31:00.001-04:002011-11-04T18:31:47.855-04:00Up and go

This post was supposed to have gone up on Monday. I don't know what happened that it didn't! Today was a professional day at my husband's school. For most schools, that really means no work, but not at his place. So, I was quite startled when I was woken from a sound sleep by the sound of the front door opening during a nap with the baby. I knew it was one of two things; either we were

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-62799242643217571692011-11-03T16:57:00.000-04:002011-11-03T16:57:00.212-04:00Words I Actually Spoke #2

Things I thought I would never say to another human being: "Honey, carrots go in your mouth, not on your toes."

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-65342718530717573942011-11-03T16:33:00.000-04:002011-11-03T16:33:35.958-04:00Early Journalism

We have a game. It goes like this: Me: "Hey you! Who do I love?" Her: "Me!" Me: "When do I love you?" Her: "All the time!" Me: "Where do I love you?" Her: "Everywhere!" Me: "How much do I love you?" Her: "So much!" Me: "Why do I love you?" Her: "Because I'm me!"

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-78393368977714823992011-11-03T00:31:00.000-04:002011-11-03T00:31:00.701-04:00Boo!

Oh, holidays. I love them so much. I love traditions and making a fuss and family and memories and laughter. I love seeing kids in funny costumes and getting to give them candy. I love left-over halloween candy. Halloween is such a perfect fall climax that leads to the resolution with Thanksgiving. It's sweet and it's funny and starts the process of pondering all that I'm thankful for in

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-84871252825177645352011-11-02T23:16:00.000-04:002011-11-02T23:16:02.423-04:00The Reston Zoo

Growing up, one of our very favorite family trips was a visit to the Pet Farm Park in Virginia. I absolutely adored that place, in spite of a very vivid memory of being pecked on the head by an emu. (To this day, emu's give me the creeps. Seriously, they are super creepy.) The farm had animals of all kinds, and began my love affair with animals of all kinds. I rode my first pony there,

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-18217235820549051152011-10-29T00:13:00.000-04:002011-10-29T00:13:38.808-04:00A source or cause of delight

It's common that I've overcome by a "I can't believe this is my life" moment. The kind of suck-your-breath-in, stomach-dropping, tingling-to-your-toes, slightly-dizzying moment that usually brings a little sparkle of tears and deep sense of joy. My friend Jen told me the other day that she had looked up both "joy" and "happiness" in the dictionary and found that one of the definitions of joy

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-71042362969914573632011-10-28T17:00:00.000-04:002011-10-28T17:00:02.696-04:00I hope all your wildest dreams come true

Because mine did. Due to pigtails, which she wore to playgroup last Wednesday with a tutu, pink boots and a shirt that said, "This ain't my first rodeo."

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-72770458811029867802011-10-28T09:39:00.000-04:002011-10-28T09:39:00.048-04:00Where the Wild Things Are

Apparently, they are at a bonfire. First s'more. I love firsts. We wanted to have a wild rumpus bonfire last Saturday and include Sweet Pea and Bean, but it was really cold and I didn't have enough warm clothes for Sweet Pea. My ever-resourceful mother went to her arsenal of dress up clothes and we were good to go. (Sweet Pea is wearing a cat costume. I have no idea why the paws

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-25777144780372936132011-10-27T23:38:00.001-04:002011-10-27T23:57:21.962-04:00Go Big or Go Home

I have a tendency to over-plan, to fill my schedule just a little too full. (People who know me well- stop laughing!) I just get excited about life and living it, and I hate feeling like I might miss out on something. When it comes to weekends, I don't play. Or, well, actually I do play; a lot. I think sometimes I make my poor husband's head spin with all of my dreams and visions for our

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-88726165107325416422011-10-26T08:35:00.000-04:002011-10-26T08:35:00.526-04:00Happy Trails

It's a widely-known fact that I love a good deal. It's also a widely-known fact that I love me some yard sales. So when I saw this baby at a yard sale and found out the price was only $15, I was sold. I didn't even haggle! All week long, I felt wiggly with excitement. I just had a feeling, a good feeling, about this. Lenny and I had really gotten into biking and were enjoying it a lot

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-56046309856748756532011-10-26T00:35:00.000-04:002011-10-26T00:35:53.706-04:00Titus 2'sday- On Help

Last week at MOPS, our discussion leader (who also happened to be our amazing pastor's amazing wife) pointed out something about that crazy Proverbs 31 woman I hadn't ever noticed before. She had help. Granted, her help seems to have been hired, since the passage says, "She gets up while it is still night; she provides food for her family and portions for her female servants." Proverbs 31:15. We

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-12973924906088359222011-10-24T13:54:00.000-04:002011-10-24T13:54:07.398-04:00Since you probably have a case of the Mondays...

Everyone keeps asking what Sweet Pea is going to be for halloween. There are a couple of options out there (read: several hand-me-down costumes to choose from) so the choice might be tough. So tough it's scary. We told Bean to scream, but then Sweet Pea did, too. Land shark! I hope you enjoyed a little Monday laugh!

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-62965658424522489312011-10-21T21:34:00.000-04:002011-10-21T21:34:04.596-04:00G-B-U

The Good - My husband is playing guitar to my baby right now. She is singing. - My baby has been climbing up into my lap on her own, which is adorable in and of itself. But once she gets there she says, "Boosh?" which means, "Books?" which means, "Mama, will you read me a book?" - I love fall. - My BFF Stacy (Daisy, as nicknamed by Bean) and I took Sweet Pea to get a pumpkin this afternoon. - I

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-19414350253371706492011-10-21T10:43:00.000-04:002011-10-21T10:43:19.742-04:00Greener Fields

We are making some changes around here. I have been battling a slew of health problems (more on that later) and as a result, I've been paying even more attention to what's around me that could possibly be affecting my health. More and more I am drawn to a simpler, greener lifestyle; one that involves less chemical and more natural. It worries me that my society is always chasing easier, and as

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-21444143267332028032011-10-20T23:33:00.001-04:002011-10-20T23:33:30.786-04:00Cat

"Can I have a pink cat?" she asked the face painting lady."Sure, sweetie," she answered. For the record, I hated having my face painted as a kid. It seemed so fun, and all the other kids were doing it, but it just itched and was hard to get off later. But she wanted her face painted, and of course, we obliged. Somewhere along the line, she asked that the kitty have red spots. And of course,

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-79571196728691082202011-10-20T13:44:00.000-04:002011-10-20T13:44:21.635-04:00Homemade, gluten free "Cheez-It" crackers

Normal, there is very little I miss about my former gluten-FULL days. When you've spent years thinking everything under the sun gave you a tummy ache of some kind, then discover that there's only one culprit and everything else is just dandy, well? You don't miss that one culprit much at all, even if it means losing out on favorite foods like pizza, cake, and freshly-baked bread. I used to

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-61179797708182938712011-10-18T23:02:00.000-04:002011-10-18T23:02:49.362-04:00Titus 2'sday- On Proverbs 31

When I found out our church was starting a MOPS group last fall, I was disappointed because it was on a weeknight and weeknights just weren't really in the cards for me. When they decided to change it to Tuesday mornings, I was pretty excited. When I realized however that childcare was provided so that the moms could hang out by themselves, I'll be honest; I got less excited. For some reason,

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-77894227248042019622011-10-17T22:34:00.000-04:002011-10-17T22:34:44.597-04:00Words I Actually Spoke #1

Things I said today that I never thought I would say to another human being: 1. "Honey, please don't lick Mama's shoe." 2. "Sweetie, we don't lick dirt off our hands."

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-72729243168464033812011-10-15T00:58:00.000-04:002011-10-15T00:58:26.713-04:00Fall Fun

I always said that I wanted to get married in fall, because fall is so incredibly beautiful around here. Fall is always such a whirlwind in our busy lives, but if you stop long enough to notice you'll see that everything else is winding down. It's like all of nature takes a collective sigh after a busy season of growing and starts to revel in the beauty of what it has become. It's somehow very

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-46385111068415758702011-10-14T15:05:00.000-04:002011-10-14T15:05:13.383-04:00Cinderella Story

Last Saturday, two people I love very much got married. To each other! Believe it or not, I actually set the two lovebirds up with each other. So, effective immediately, my business is now Fields of Green Photography and Matchmaking. My matchmaking fee is that I get to smell you first-born's newborn baby head whenever I want. The bride is a dear friend of mine and my husband's from

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-85625882548181082652011-10-12T23:59:00.001-04:002011-10-13T00:01:28.686-04:00Kee-Tee

Sweet Pea loves kitties. "Kitty" was one of her favorite words for the month of July, and she actually kinda started to drive me crazy because from the moment she woke up until she fell asleep, all day long it was "Kee-tee, Kee, Keeeetch, Kee-tee." She adores our two, and has finally learned how to say "Meow!" with much joy and gusto. Her entire countenance fills will joy the moment she sees

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-61147824085659005522011-10-11T00:18:00.000-04:002011-10-11T00:18:31.422-04:00Book Review

I happened to be fascinated by adoption. I love the way God weaves the stories of families together and that He has ordained children and parents from the beginning of time. When I found out my newest book to review was about adoption, I was excited. Love You More is author Jennifer Grant's memoir of the adoption process of her family's youngest daughter. The story (like any adoption story)

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-70016517940374476222011-10-10T12:46:00.000-04:002011-10-10T12:46:45.051-04:00The Mixing Bowl

Remember this? I am so tiny! I am four days old! Me too. Because it feels like yesterday. Remember this next? I am adorable! I am 6 months old! I had to do it again. Ready? OMG this is the best day of my life!!! The spot on the nose is the very best. Love that I caught the focus right there. Fave. I had to pull my refrigerator out so that I could use

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-2386031402558630272011-10-07T12:06:00.000-04:002011-10-07T12:06:08.373-04:00When it's raining on Monday...

When it's raining on Monday, and you have wee smalls in your house, you need to have a play date or you'll go crazy. When the friends arrive, you won't have the kids out of jammies. Well, one of them will be half out of jammies but will have added three layered pink tank tops from your closet to her ensemble and not be able to find her pants. At said play date, you'll want to let the kids

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-48332173072918399882011-10-06T23:35:00.000-04:002011-10-06T23:35:10.374-04:00Times they are a-changin'

Sometimes, things change over night. For example, here is last Friday: And here is last Saturday: Again! Friday: Saturday: Donning every extra spare article of clothing we had in the car, we went for a walk on the beach. Little fingers got cold and noses got a little damp. It was chilly, man! Lately I've been thinking about how my life has changed since we brought a baby into our

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-17457116741887788382011-10-05T07:00:00.000-04:002011-10-05T07:00:04.590-04:00Breakfast with Champions

What I love about this photo: 1. I didn't even realize when I took this that Bean put the bear next to Sweet Pea and was clutching a bass 2. Sweet Pea's toes don't touch the floor 3. Sweet Pea's posture 4. The way Bean is looking at her cousin 5. The way Sweet Pea is looking at the tv, which I'm pretty sure was playing Spirit, Stallion of the Cimarron 6. That I secretly love the

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-86436344908675005572011-10-04T22:51:00.000-04:002011-10-04T22:51:49.729-04:00Titus 2'sday- On Grace

Titus 2'day, based on Titus 2:3-5, is my regular Tuesday installment where I share the great advice others have given me about parenting or about what I'm learning along the way. Sometimes, when it's late at night and you have a million things to say and write and be and do, you just have to shut down. When your back hurts from carting a 19-lb baby in and out of the car all day and you went to

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-77391930339044072592011-10-01T01:28:00.001-04:002011-10-01T01:29:44.644-04:00Goodbye, Summer

Photo by my mom, editing by me You were good to us this year, Summer. Real good. Photo by my mom, editing by me Thanks for going out with a bang. I don't know if the weather today could have been any more perfect. Tonight is rainy and cold, and I hear there's talk of snow in the mountains. But hush. We instead will enjoy our faintly burnt noses and remember the sun and

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-8834599446714532372011-09-30T12:28:00.000-04:002011-09-30T12:28:04.517-04:00Digital Hoarding

Don't forget to enter my giveaway! It would be a cold, gray, rainy afternoon. Mom would have spent the afternoon with a rag and a bottle of Pledge in hand, carting around bits and pieces of "mess" in what we always thought was an immaculate home. We would have spent the afternoon playing with Barbies and completing little chores here and there as we were told. At some point, someone would

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-34080602775978250612011-09-29T16:05:00.001-04:002011-09-29T16:08:07.961-04:00Dreamer {A Thought for Thursday}

My sweet friend T loves quotes (almost) as much as me. I love her Thought(s) for Thursday; they always put a smile on my face. All of her thoughts do, really! I never have my act together enough to participate, but this week I do. I love this quote and it warmed my heart. www.haveanepiphanie.com I came across this while perusing the Epiphanie website. (I desperately want one of their

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-87462729032787640512011-09-29T00:18:00.000-04:002011-09-29T00:18:54.406-04:00Stuck on You

Sometimes, when you have a big cousin, you get lots of love. And sometimes, not so much. In other news, someone has graduated from a fascination with licking the bottoms of shoes (?!) to trying them on instead. I'm pleased with the change. A super blurry shot was the best I could do because something you might not know is that it's also fun to throw the shoes after you've

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-21013164730764928702011-09-26T16:03:00.002-04:002011-09-26T16:03:00.424-04:00A Birthday Present for YOU (Giveaway)

In honor of Sweet Pea's first birthday, and all of the happy memories of her first year that I'm treasuring in my heart, we wanted to give a memory-making gift to one lucky reader. I've been going crazy trying to whittle down my approximately one billion photos of her first year of life down to a reasonable number than can be used for a lovely scrapbook. However, I've got a little problem.

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-23543889840407253032011-09-26T14:34:00.000-04:002011-09-26T14:34:41.568-04:00Extended

Our photo session special has been pretty popular! I guess everyone loves a good deal, especially a photo deal that's cheaper than Target's similar package. So, we've extended the deal until September 30th, but only for 5 more shoots. Time to start thinking about the family Christmas card!

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-61047277072775282642011-09-26T13:24:00.003-04:002011-09-26T14:51:52.609-04:00Her Birthday Party

Last Sunday, we celebrated Sweet Pea's first birthday in style. She is in love with dogs, and one of her favorite books was given to her by some dear friends as a Christmas gift last year. The book, a beloved of my own when I was a child, is called The Poky Little Puppy. Ever heard of it? I thought everyone had, but apparently I was wrong, as it turned out that my Poky Little

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16775161.post-15567349072763361212011-09-24T22:39:00.001-04:002011-09-24T22:39:22.673-04:00Date

On Thursday, we went on a date. No special reason, we just wanted to hang out. And I wanted to eat enchilladas. And I didn't want to cook.At one point I looked up and said, "Uh, babe? Is this our first date since we've had the baby?"Um...pause.Didn't we just celebrate our baby's first birthday?Can we actually be this lame?We've left her several times, for weddings and such. I think it's

Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939226046456925797noreply@blogger.com1